Digital Microscopy Assessment of Angiogenesis in Different Breast Cancer Compartments

Abstract

Background/Aim. Tumour angiogenesis defined by microvessel density (MVD) is generally accepted as a prognostic factor in breast cancer. However, due to variability of measurement systems and cutoffs, it is questionable to date whether it contributes to predictive outline. Our study aims to grade vascular heterogeneity by comparing clear-cut compartments: tumour associated stroma (TAS), tumour parenchyma, and tumour invasive front. Material and Methods. Computerized vessel area measurement was performed using a tissue cytometry system (TissueFAXS) on slides originated from 50 patients with breast cancer. Vessels were marked using immunohistochemistry with CD34. Regions of interest were manually defined for each tumour compartment. Results. Tumour invasive front vascular endothelia area was 2.15 times higher than that in tumour parenchyma and 4.61 times higher than that in TAS (P < 0.002). Worth to mention that the lymph node negative subgroup of patients show a slight but constant increase of vessel index in all examined compartments of breast tumour. Conclusion. Whole slide digital examination and region of interest (ROI) analysis are a valuable tool in scoring angiogenesis markers and disclosing their prognostic capacity. Our study reveals compartments' variability of vessel density inside the tumour and highlights the propensity of invasive front to associate an active process of angiogenesis with potential implications in adjuvant therapy.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Prevents Intestinal Injury, Upregulation of Toll-Like Receptors, and 5-Fluorouracil/Oxaliplatin-Induced Toxicity in Colorectal Cancer

“…Sections with a thickness of 4 µm were cut, mounted on glass slides, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) [5]. Using a 20× magnification objective, the specimen images were scanned with a Tissue FAXS automatic scanning system, digitized, and analyzed using HistoQuest software (TissueGnostics, Vienna, Austria) [71].Villus height, crypt depth, and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio of each jejunal tissue section in the small intestines of each mouse were measured to determine if villi and crypts were whole and well-oriented.…”

SCID/NOD mice model for 5-FU induced intestinal mucositis: Safety and effects of probiotics as therapy

“…Specimens were viewed under the TissueFAXS automatic scanning system, captured by a digital camera and analyzed by HistoQuest software (TissueGnostics, Vienna, Austria). 9 For every jejunal tissue section of each mouse, villus height (VH) and crypt depth (CD) measurements were determined for whole, well-oriented villi and crypts, and these values were averaged.…”

Tumour Heterogeneity of Breast Cancer: From Morphology to Personalised Medicine

“…Angiogenesis, as quantified by microvessel density, is a crucial requisite for tumour growth and is generally accepted as a BC prognostic factor [32,33]. However, microvessel density has been reported to have compartment variability of vessel density within the tumour, highlighting the propensity of an invasive front to link to an active process of angiogenesis [44]. In their recent study, Natrajan et al [45] reported that high microenvironmental diversity was strikingly associated with poor prognosis that could not be explained by tumour size, genomics, or any other data type.…”